


Charging Headfirst into Adventure!

by Ziffy



Series: The Infested Chronicles [3]
Category: Warframe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-01-29 02:33:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 19,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21402730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ziffy/pseuds/Ziffy
Summary: A newly awoken charger learns about the world, eventually coming to realize what it means to be infested.
Series: The Infested Chronicles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562794
Comments: 17
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This probably won't get many reads, but I just love the concept of benign infested. What do they make of the world?  
Also, I'm going to try to do a reasonably regular update schedule until this story is finished. Maybe a chapter every few days?

_ Mmm… The sun feels nice on my back. There’s a nice gentle breeze, too. I feel like I could lay here forever… _

Something nudges my side.

_ Aww… I wanna sleep a little more. _ I roll over and stretch my front legs.

Whatever it is nudges me again, twice this time.

“Okaay, fine, I’ll get up,” I mumble, opening an eye. A twisty person is looking down at me.

“Come on, you’ll be late to the newly awoken meeting!” They say before dashing off.

I roll back over and get to my feet. I dunno what this meeting is they were talking about, but it sounds like fun! I stumble after them a few paces before my legs start working.  _ Oof, I must have slept longer than I thought, my legs are stiff! _ Once I get going though, I make my way to the meeting, admiring the pretty scene around me.

I pass by many low buildings, all of which are covered in pretty looking threads. Some of them are thicker than others, even as big around as my front leg! But they make pretty designs on the walls, weaving up and down, side to side, crissing and crossing all over the place. Once in a while on the ground there are big glowy red bumps coming out of the threads. I poke one and it bounces right back. I tap it harder and it jiggles. Oh, these are so much fun!

But wait, I need to get to that meeting. I keep walking along, jumping on some of the bigger red bumps and giggling. Everything here is bathed in the pretty yellow light of the sun, and some parts of the ground even sparkle. 

I finally get to the meeting area, and notice that I’m the last one. A tall person in the middle of the group looks at me sternly, and I shrink back a bit. But then they laugh, and it sounds so pretty!

“Well now, everyone’s finally here. I’m so happy to meet you, my friends, my family. You’ve just woken up in our little paradise, and we are all glad to see you.” Some cheering comes from the roofs of the nearby buildings. I look up and see lots of other people there too. I have so many friends to make!

“Now, children, there are a few rules that you must follow to make sure that life here is as good as it can be. The first rule is that you mustn’t leave our little paradise. The outside world is dangerous to us. Luckily, our paradise is very big, so there’s no need to leave!” I get really excited at this. If it’s so big, then there must be lots of places to explore!

“The second rule, if you meet a stranger in our paradise that doesn’t look like us, you must first come to me or one of the other elders. Sometimes strangers can be dangerous, and we want you to be safe.” The elder pauses for a second, then continues. “The last rule, have fun! There’s so much beauty here in our paradise, so enjoy it! Now, before we leave this meeting, I will give you each a name, so if you could make a bit of a line, that would make things go faster.”

I’m practically vibrating with excitement. I can’t wait to get a name! I hope it’s a pretty one. No wait, I hope it’s a strong name! Oh, but maybe I want a name that’s easy to pronounce so people don’t have to worry. But I like nicknames too, so maybe a long name wouldn’t be so bad!

Because I was the last to the meeting, I decide to go to the very end of the line. That seems fair, right? Oh, but I’m so excited to get my name! I wonder what it’s going to be?

The next few minutes feel like hours to me, but at the same time, I barely blinked before I was stepping towards the elder to get my name.

“Good morning, child, how do you feel?” the elder asks me with many smiling eyes.

“I’m so happy! Everything is so pretty here, and I can’t wait to meet everyone, and the sun and wind feel so nice, but I’m nervous because I’m going to get a name, and I’m worried, what if I don’t like it? But that would be silly, after all, you seem so wonderful so of course you are going to give me a good name…” The elder puts an arm on my back, and their shoulders are shaking. Oh no, did I make them mad?

The elder starts laughing. “My, you are so lively! It’s good to see so much energy in someone so young. Don’t worry, I’ve put in considerable thought to every name I’ve ever given. Since you show such overwhelming exuberance towards life, I am going to name you Sheel.”

_ Sheel… That’s my name now. I… Love it!! _ I vibrate even more, so happy I feel like I might explode.

The elder laughs again, shooing me away. “Now go meet your new friends, Sheel!”

I bounce away, heading towards the nearest group. “Hi everyone! My name’s Sheel!”

The group looks at me, and they start introducing themselves. There’s a little one, just a sphere with a couple arms whose name is Lof. There’s another, they look like me with a rounded back and four legs, their name is Phortis. Oh, and there’s another one, no two! They’re fused together, how silly! The one looks like me and Phortis, but out of their back is another person. They’ve got two arms and a long body. I’m jealous, they get to always be together! Oh, they told me their name but I missed it, so I need to ask again. Oh, they only have one name, they’re Anaph. Everyone’s so nice here!

I go to the other group to say hi. There’s a really tall one named Thel, and two more that look like me named Lesh and Shav.

After greeting everyone, I notice that others are coming to meet us, maybe fifty in all. There’s some in the group that look like us, but others that look different too! And in the back, there’s five elders watching over us, it looks like they’re beaming with pride. If they’re happy, I’m happy too!

I spend much of the next few hours meeting new friends and learning about our home. I decide to go exploring, and I see that Anaph and Lof are following me. I slow down because Lof can’t move very fast, and we chat along the way. I showed them how much fun it is to poke the big red bumps, and that you can bounce off of them too, while Lof shows me how they can climb on some of the threads hanging over us between the buildings. Both Anaphs laugh, the upper one clapping to cheer Lof on. I can see that this makes Lof happy, but then they got an idea! Lof backed up a bit on the thread, then started swinging. Back and forth, back and forth, until with a triumphant shout, they flew over us, landing on a big red bump. Lof bounced back up so high! But not only that, they were positioned just right to grab onto the threads on the other side of the bounce. Lof is so impressive!

We kept exploring until the sun went down. The cool night air settled around us, and it felt really nice. The warm sun on my back was good, but this feels good too! I roll over, tired after the full day, and gasp in awe. In the sky, all the stars are shining so beautifully! But not only that, the moon is shining on us, the soft white light accentuated by the shiny gold bits around it. I hear Lof and Anaph sigh in delight at the beautiful night sky. As I drift off to sleep, I realize just how lucky I am to be this happy, with so many friends.


	2. Chapter 2

_ Mmm… The warm sun feels good again… _ I roll over and stretch out my back. I remember where I am and I jump up, excited for the new day. Today, my goal is to reach the edge of our home, to see what’s on the outside! The elders said that one of the rules is that I can’t leave here, and I know they care about me, so I’m going to listen. But I’m just so curious! What could be out there?

I started trotting down one of the paths. If I go in a straight line, I know that I’ll have to reach the edge eventually! As I keep going, I notice that the buildings start getting taller. After a while, I can’t see the sky at all any more. Luckily, the area is still very well lit. The threads hanging between the buildings have little red and yellow bumps on them, and they give off a nice amount of light. Looking up almost reminds me of looking at the night sky, but the stars are much bigger here, and lots closer. There’s lots of people here too! Some are lounging around, others look like they’re rearranging the threads or clearing them away. I guess if they grow too much, it would be pretty hard to move in here.

There’s a few really big people this far into our home. Some look like they’re as tall as two of me laid end to end! Others are small, even smaller than Lof. But every one of them greeted me nicely, even pausing to learn my name. I like it here, but I also like the feeling of the sun, and looking at the sky, so I keep walking.

After just a bit I can see the sky through the threads again, so I know I’m getting close. The buildings start getting shorter again, and I feel the nice breeze as well as the sun on my back. I get very eager, so I start running. It feels really nice to run. The buildings rush by, and I can see where they end. I slow down as I approach. After all, I don’t want to even accidentally break a rule; that would make me sad. When I reach the edge, I cautiously peek out. There’s a little wall just past the buildings, and the threads keep going out to it. I decide it’s safe enough to explore up to the wall, so I approach it. There’s a part of the wall that’s collapsed. I trot over to it to see what’s on the other side.

I look through the gap to see… nothing. It’s almost like the world ends at the edge of our home. Of course, there’s not nothing, there’s just sand for as far as I can see. The threads go out into the sand for a little ways, but then they stop. 

I hear someone coming from behind me and I jump. I turn around to see who it is. It’s one of the people with the really big, sorta bubbly body and the stubby arms and legs. They waddle over to me.

“Here to look at the outside world?” They ask in a quiet voice.

“Yeah, I was just curious,” I respond, looking down and pawing at the ground, embarrassed.

“We all look at the outside world at least once. There’s nothing out there, though. You can go around the whole outside of the city, and all that you’ll see is sand.”

“Is there anything past the sand? Has anyone ever gone to look?”

“Once in a while, someone will leave, determined to find something and return to tell us about it. None of them have ever came back.” They sigh and sit down. “One of my friends was the last one to try exploring. I’m still waiting for them to get back.”

“Well, then do we ever get visitors from other places?”

They sit for a while, drawing aimlessly on the ground with a stubby finger. “If only one or two people come to see us, things are usually alright. But whenever more than that arrive, they try to kill us.”

Hearing that sent a chill down my back.  _ I-I don’t understand. Why would anyone want to hurt us? It’s so peaceful and happy here… _

Clearly, they saw the confusion I was wrestling with. “Don’t worry, it only happens very rarely. The last time it happened was a few weeks ago, and we’re just fine. It’ll probably be years before something like that happens again.”

Hearing that made me feel better. I only just woke up here, and things look so peaceful. I don’t want to have to worry things might get scary.

The person got up. “Well, I need to head back. Be careful, young’un, and make sure you follow the rules.” They started waddling back toward the city.

I glanced back out at the sand.  _ I’m curious what’s on the other side of all that, but I’m scared too. I like it here in the city, though, so I’m happy. _ I turn around, and head back into the city myself.


	3. Chapter 3

I spent the last few weeks exploring our little city. It’s big enough that even after all that time, I haven’t been everywhere. I’ve met almost everyone here, I think, and while I can’t remember all of their names, everyone just laughs and reintroduces themselves. They’re all so nice…

Something very strange is happening, though. I feel a very strong… connection to everyone? It’s been growing recently and I don’t know how to describe it. Sometimes I can  _ feel _ how everyone around me is doing, and once in a while I can almost make out words from the thoughts of the others. Most of the time, it’s a background feeling, like the soothing whisper of the wind between the threads. But just a couple of days ago, a big thread fell on someone in the middle of the city. They got really hurt, and sent out a strong  _ HELP _ that made itself very clear in my mind! I knew exactly which direction to go after hearing it, but when I showed up, the person had already been helped, and even healed by one of the elders.

I think I like the whispers. They make me feel connected to the others, and if it makes it so we can help each other that much faster, then it’s a very good thing.

But now, I’m facing a dilemma: a stranger has shown up in the city, and they’re just standing there. I was exploring the section of buildings that are totally broken along with Anaph, when we stumbled upon a solitary figure. They looked very strange, maybe even scary. They were very smooth, with no twisty bits or bumps, and they were totally white in color. Anaph and I backed away, and whispered to each other about what to do. We eventually decided that Anaph would run into the city to find an elder, since they can feel the whispers stronger than I can.

But now, the stranger is moving, heading towards the center of the city. I don’t know if this person is dangerous, or if they’re safe, but I’m scared. I’m trying to follow them sneakily, but I know that I’m too clumsy to do it well. I’m at the very furthest I feel that I can follow them from, and I think they haven’t noticed me, oh but now they’re looking around. I scramble to hide behind a wall. The figure calls out, but I can’t understand what they said. They have a pretty voice, though.

Once I feel like it’s safe again, I peek out around the corner. The figure is walking down the street away from me, so I start following.

Before they had gotten halfway to the center, I felt a tap on my back. I just about jumped out of my skin before realizing it was just Anaph.

“You scared me!” I whisper fiercely.

“Sorry, Sheel, but I brought an elder. Lucky you’re so easy to find through the murmur,” lower Anaph responds. I look just behind them and notice the elder standing there. I nod shyly.

The elder pats my back, then starts walking toward the stranger. Anaph and I look at each other, shrug, and start following. The stranger turns around after noticing us, and stops moving so we can catch up.

“These visitors are kind to us,” the elder explains as we walk. “They show up once in a while to request specimens that we prune away from the growth. None of us know what they do with the material, but we see no harm in it.”

“But why does this person look so strange? They’re all white, and they’re completely smooth on the outside,” I ask.

“You see, they are different from us. They cannot actually survive in our city, so they must wear special protection to enter, and that is the smooth exterior you notice. But inside, they are still smooth and symmetrical, looking nothing like us.”

“If they designed the suit, couldn’t they have at least patterned it? They look weird,” upper Anaph said.

“They are different from us, and as they are different, they find other things beautiful. Perhaps for them this is what they like, so who are we to judge?” the elder said. The elders are all so wise.

When we’re only a few lengths away, the figure calls out to us. I don’t understand anything that they said, but it hurt to hear.

“Do they always speak so loud?” I ask the elder.

“Yes, child, they do. They are less sensitive to many things than we are, so they must speak at a greater volume to converse with each other.” The elder steps in front of us, responding to the stranger in the same speech, but softer than they did.

The two converse for a minute before they start walking toward the city center again. The elder beckons for us to follow.

When we reach the edge of the tall buildings, another group of ours is waiting with a small pile of dead threads. The stranger collects the bundle, then leaves.

I watch them go with a strange fascination. The people from the outside world really do look odd, I’m not sure what to make of them. I make up my mind, and bound after the stranger to see where they go.

I stop at the edge of the wall and peer out. The stranger is getting into a weird boxy-looking thing. Blue lights turn on all around the boxy thing, and then it starts to float! It goes up into the sky, then speeds off past the edge of the world. Whatever that thing was, it’s incredible! I wander back into the city, daydreaming about what the outside world must be like if something so wonderful as a flying box exists.


	4. Chapter 4

I’m still daydreaming about what the outside world might look like even as I work. I happily dig away, imagining a world full of flying boxes and smooth people that look so different from us. It’s not that I don’t like it here, after all this city is still beautiful. I’m just so curious as to what lies outside that I can’t stand it!

So I keep on digging, happy to be helping the city. We’re expanding the city a bit, because the upper parts of the city are too dangerous to explore now. The threads have become so thick between the big buildings that the walls can barely support them. We would clear them if we could, but if we sent anyone up there, there’s a good chance they would cause some sort of collapse. As long as the threads don’t do anything strange, the elders are pretty sure that it’ll be safe.

Since we don’t have the resources to expand the city out into the sand, we are digging down to make some tunnels. In the process of digging we found some tunnels that were already there, but they didn’t have enough space to fit the largest of us, so we’re carving out a bit more space in addition to digging a whole new layer of them.

It’s pretty slow going for the most part, given how much rock there is to dig through. Some of the big people can hit the rocks really hard, making them crack, but they get tired really fast because of how tough it is. After that, the little group of people that can produce acid spit into the cracks, which loosens them enough for the rest of us to dig them out. The ones that look like me dig the rocks out and roll them into piles, then the ones that can walk on two legs collect the piles and bring them to the surface. I think the elders have plans for the rubble, but I don’t know what they are yet.

I really like digging, though. It’s something to do, and it makes me feel like I’m contributing to the city. Without this, there isn’t really a lot to actively do here. There’s a few jobs like pruning the threads, but beyond that we just lounge in the sun, play silly games with each other, or admire the stars at night.

But am I allowed to say I’m bored? When I woke up here, everything was so shiny and new, and I saw beauty no matter where I look. Now, however, I look around to see the walls turned gray by time, covered in darker gray threads. Even the people have lots of gray all over them, myself included. I wish I hadn’t seen that flying box, sometimes. I would have been so much happier if I had stayed ignorant of how the outside world was.

But digging takes the edge off the sad thoughts. The steady rhythm of digging something up, then rolling it to the pile. Dig, roll, dig, roll. Even the rocks are gray down here. Push those thoughts out, keep digging.

I feel my eyes start to burn, but I don’t know what it means. The sad thoughts come rushing into my head all at once, and I stop working. I simply stand there and quiver, eyes burning.

An elder notices, coming over to ask me what’s wrong. I try to pull myself together, but the words start tumbling out against my will. I tell the elder all of the thoughts that have been going through my mind, and ask them what’s wrong with my eyes.

The elder sits in silence for a few moments after my torrent of speech ends. They sigh, then begin to speak. “I’ll start with your last question. Your eyes are burning because of a leftover mechanism from before you turned, it’s called crying. It’s when you feel so sad that your body has to express it in some way.” I start to ask what they mean by ‘before I turned’, but the elder shushes me. “I also understand what you mean by your curiosity of the outside tainting your view of what is in here. Many of us experience it at some point, though not all. You are getting to that point far earlier than any of us did, however.”

The elder pauses, looking around to make sure everyone else is far away from us. “Now comes the bad news. You will never get over that curiosity of the outside. It will haunt you forever. But there is something you need to know about us. The outside world hates us because we are a disease. They call us the Infested. Remember that visitor, and how they had to wear a suit to survive here? It’s because we are the poison that would kill them. And once they die, they become one of us.”

Being told this hurt my heart. Just by being myself, there’s a chance I could kill someone? But another part of what the elder said bothered me. “What do you mean they become one of us?”

The elder sighs again. “Every single person here used to be something else, used to be some _ one _ else. But when they got here, they were killed and reborn. Some people used to be attackers that tried to hurt the people of the city, some were refugees that mistook us for a safe city.”

I dread having to ask, but I do so anyway. “What was I…  _ before _ ?”

The elder responds quietly. “You were a soldier. You tried to kill me.”


	5. Chapter 5

The sad thoughts are all I have now. I keep going over what the ancient said, and it makes me feel even worse. I tried to kill people before I turned? Why would I do that? Even beyond that, why does the outside world hate us so much? Everyone here is so nice, I can’t imagine why they would want to exterminate us. After all, we just stay in our little city, living our quiet, boring lives, with no excitement and even less to do.

I need to stop thinking like this! Whatever happened to the happiness I felt? I roll over, count to three, and put all my effort into standing. Good, that’s one tiny victory for the day. I slowly make my way to the outskirts of the city. The sun doesn’t feel as warm on my back any more, I wonder why that is. As I meander, the bland gray of the walls, the threads, the ground… everything really gets on my nerves. The only color that we ever see is the occasional red and yellow bump, nothing as incredible as the flying box or its mysterious occupant.

I see a few people on my way, and try to greet them with as much cheeriness as I can muster, but I think everyone can see through my act. Everything I do feels fake, just me trying to keep up appearances.

I settle into a little nook and stare out into the sand. Even if I wanted to explore the outside world before, I now know that I would just be hunted down and killed. This little city is going to be all I have for the rest of my life. I won’t get to see that magical other city filled with flying things that I know is out there, nor will I be able to make friends with anyone that isn’t already like us. I’m just… stuck.

I’m so lost in thought, I don’t notice the alert whispers or the shadow of the flying thing. I'm only shaken out of my trance by a massive BOOOOM, followed by the low, earth-shaking rumble of buildings falling down. The whispers jump in intensity. Many people are hurt, some are dead. This frightens me. Everyone in the city is so nice to me, even though I’ve been feeling sad lately. To think that some of them are dead? A tiny thrill of anger cuts through my sadness. I want to do something. Now the whispers are calling for the… powered people to defend? What does that mean? There’s a group over there, I’m going to ask if I can help.

I see three elders, a bunch of smaller people, oh, there's Anaph! as well as one of the biggest people I've ever seen. I run over to them to ask what's going on. The elder says we're being attacked and that we need to counter immediately. One of the elders does something and my body feels really tingly. Then the really big person starts throwing the others towards the flying thing! Before I can decide otherwise, it's my turn and I'm suddenly hurtling through the air. 

When I hit the flying thing, to my surprise, I stick. The tingly feeling gets stronger and one of the elders call out. "Stick together, and be prepared to kill. They are here to exterminate us, so we need to fight back!"

I look at the thing I'm standing upside-down on and I feel a strange calm come over me. "Hull breached!" One of the acid spitters says. We all rush to the hole, clambering inside. Nobody is there when we get inside, so there's a moment of calm. 

"Stick together. I'll focus on keeping you alive, but you  _ must _ stay in range of me," one of the elders says. "Another group is going to attack from a different direction. Now let's move!"

We start rushing down the hallway. A couple of weird looking enemies with greenish armor are at the end of the hallway. We take out one before it can react, but the other shouts and a thing in its hand makes a few loud noises before the person falls to us. Something tears into one of the others, and we all feel a little of the pain before the elder seals the wound completely. We start moving in perfect coordination, our minds no longer quite separate, but not fully merged either. One of the elders picks up the thing that hurt us, giving it to upper Anaph, then we move on.

We encounter a much larger group this time, and the fighting is much more violent. The elder struggles to keep us all healed, but the other elder boosts our strength, little trails of fire and warped space following our movements. Alarms go off in the ship; we need to hurry. The last of their group falls and we keep moving. Our healer is getting tired, though, so we need to make this quick. 

We enter a large room and are faced with a frightening number of the enemies. The other one of our attack crews is on the far side of the room, already engaged, so our crew rushes to join the fray.

Our wounds are closing noticeably slower now, and everyone can feel the healer's exhaustion. The urgency we feel gives us a fresh burst of manic energy. Our front line tears into their ranks, but we're not sure if it's going to be enough. We feel the last person of our other group die, but there's not many enemies left. Half of our crew is dead. A massive explosion kills the fire elder, a two legged person and Sheel, mixing their parts all around.

Wait, I'm Sheel.

Our healer collapses from exhaustion, but it was enough. The last enemy falls, and our four survivors flop to the ground, panting. 

Wait, but I didn't survive? 

As the excitement of the battle wears off and their breathing evens out, the boundaries between our minds start going back up. My senses dull, and soon, the world ceases to exist. 


	6. Chapter 6

The first thing I notice is the feeling of power. A strange energy pulses through me, and I feel warm. I sense a person nearby, and how I can tweak their energy to be more like the warmth in me. 

I notice the harsh sound of metal being dragged against metal. The sound irritates me, I really need to stop it. I open my eyes.  _ Huh, I have more eyes than I used to. Wait, used to? When was that?  _

It all comes rushing back in a moment. I sit up as memories of the fighting, the pain, and my… dying… fill my mind. 

"Oh? I thought it was too early for the new awakening to start. Must be a fluke," someone says. 

My words come out in a rush. "Is the city ok? Did we manage to stop them from attacking?"

The big person hauling the sheet of metal stops and looks at me. "Wait, you shouldn't know anything, unless… you can resurrect? We haven't had one of you in more than a hundred years, though. Tell me, what is your name?"

"I'm… Sheel, I think. Yeah, that's my name."

"Huh. Well then, welcome back to the world of the living, Sheel." They pick up the piece of metal and resume dragging it back to the city, but a bit faster. 

My head swims with questions. I stagger to my feet and start heading to the city myself. I need to find an elder.

When I exit the destroyed and partially dismantled ship, I see the chaos that was brought to our city. None of the taller buildings in the middle exist, everything reduced to a pile of rubble. Most of the outskirts are still intact, but I wonder how many got caught, how many died. There’s a flurry of activity, most of the people clearing the collapsed buildings, with some hauling pieces of the ship and placing them in stacks. I wonder what they're going to do with them. 

An elder catches sight of me and runs over. "Lathuiif, is that you? We thought you died!"

"No, that's not my name, I'm Sheel."

The elder slows, visibly let down. "Ah… I'm sorry then. You look just similar enough that I got my hopes up. Though your back is unusually armored for one of our kind, almost looks like part of a charger is on you…" they muse, voice trailing off.

I belatedly take a moment to glance at myself. Somehow, I'm in the body of an elder, but my back is still my own. I look at my hands, wiggling my fingers.  _ So that's what hands are like. _ I notice some people look my way after overhearing the conversation. They whisper amongst themselves, then start walking away from me. A word pings into my mind.  _ Reviver. _

The elder brings me back. "You should seek out one of the other fire manipulators. If you've taken that body, you may as well use it. Just… be careful." They turn and walk away. I can feel their sadness through the link. 

I wonder what they mean. I wander for a bit before I feel the tingling get stronger. I look around and notice one of the big bubbly people looking around too. They seem to notice me as well, and start waddling my way. As they approach, I feel the resonance between us, and I can tell that they have the same power that I do.

"I don’t recognize you, are you a new one?" They ask, but they immediately go on. "Follow me, we need to make sure you can control it so you don't hurt anybody."

I nod and follow their lead. We go back through the city and strangely, past the wall. We walk a short way into the sand to an odd looking place where the ground is solid again, but of a very strange consistency. There's also quite a few weird-looking formations where the sand looks like it jumped in the air, then just froze. 

"This is where we practice. Our abilities are different from the others' in that they can be much more dangerous to those around us. Some of us can cause literal walls of fire to manifest, others explosions, but we can all channel the energy through our companions to strengthen them." To illustrate the point, they pluck off a bubble from their torso and lob it across the sand. When it lands, it bursts into a violent pillar of fire that lasts a few seconds, blasting us with intense heat even from a distance. "Learn how to control yourself so you don't do that in the city. You will not leave this area until you do." The bubbly person waddles off, leaving me reeling in confusion. 

Before I can think to ask any questions, they're long gone.  _ Guess I just need to go for it, _ I think to myself. I push out with the vague power I feel, and succeed in making an explosion right in front of me. Like, very close. As in I sent myself flying. 

Once the world stops spinning, I sit back up.  _ This might be harder than I thought… _

After working the whole day, I felt like I had made some progress with my abilities. I had finally worked out how to keep the flames in check by keeping them wreathed around my body. Watching them flicker and dance around me was incredible, and I barely felt the heat any more.

Just before the sun dipped below the horizon, the bubbly person came back. "Ah, so you prefer to cloak yourself, that's neat. Now show me how much power you've got, and prove that you can keep it under control."

I nod and channel everything I have into the flames. They get so bright that the area is completely lit as if it were noon again. Aside from that, though, the ground started bubbling, and I noticed that I was sinking a bit.

The other person laughs. "Excellent! You can stop now, though. Trust me, getting out of molten sand is a pain."

As I calm the flames and they go out, a little thrill runs through me. I realize that for the first time in a while, I feel happy. The city is still just a gray mess, but a new flicker of joy sprung up in me when I saw the flames I controlled. I still feel like there should be more to my life than staying here, but this little bit of power was all I needed to give me a reason to keep living. Even if I couldn't be happy myself, I'd use this power to protect everyone else. 

I stagger towards the other person a few steps, my head full of thoughts for the future, but the world swims around me and I black out. 


	7. Chapter 7

I wake up shortly after hitting the ground. My overseer is laughing at me. "You must've overworked yourself, eh? Guess I forgot to tell you how draining our abilities can be. You'll be fine after a little rest."

I roll onto my side and glance up at them. Despite the embarrassing scene, I can't stop a little giggle from escaping. After we quiet down, I let a few seconds pass before asking something that's been bothering me. 

"Hey, why does nobody get excited that I can resurrect, or revive, or whatever?"

They freeze. "Ah, nobody told you. Let's see…" they sit down and take a moment to gather their thoughts. "Once in a while, an infested like us can get a mutation that allows them to come back to life after what would have been a fatal circumstance. The only catch is that to do this, they draw on whatever was around them to construct a new body. This happens whether that stuff is living or dead." They pause to look straight at me. "This means that if you are 'killed' along with another person, your body will stitch parts of the two of you together. If you get killed and enough of you lands on someone still living? You take over their body entirely."

My thoughts reel at this. I can keep living, but at the cost of someone else's life? 

"The only way to kill you permanently is to burn your remains so that nothing is left to take over another body."

I take this in. I'm horrified by the prospect of taking other peoples' lives to keep my own going, but I'm just as scared of dying and never coming back. 

"Don't worry, though, we wouldn't permanently kill you unless we thought you were a danger to others. The last person that could resurrect tried to die on an elder to take them over. After purposefully going volatile they ran up to the elder and just went  _ pop _ . That elder had to tear off their arm so that us flame users could torch the body. When even one of them goes bad, it can cause quite a bit of damage, but that reviver had really lost it. So for you, just don't actively seek out death and rebirth and we'll treat you normally."

They get up and waddle back towards the city. "I'm sure you can keep your flames and life in check though, so let's head back."

I trail behind them, still turning the revelations over in my head. I don't know exactly what to think any more. I'm just going to take things one day at a time, one step at a time. 

When I get back to the city, the destruction finally registers in my mind. The center of the city has been flattened, and I wonder how many were caught in the collapse. Despite looking around, and even tuning in to the whispers, I can hardly sense anyone around. I root through the rubble for a bit but it doesn't take long for me to find a body. Someone had been crushed trying to escape the collapsing buildings, but they didn't make it. 

I call out to the nearest worker. "How many died in the attack?"

They look at me, and I can feel how devastated they are. "Two thirds of the city." 

I was taken aback. I knew a lot of people stayed in the taller buildings, but to think that many had died? An eerie calm settles on me after my initial shock.  _ It's so simple… I just need to kill all those that would do this. _ I pause at the thought. That didn't sound like me… but whatever that was might have had a point. 

"So then, what are we doing now?"

They resume clearing some rubble from the street. "Right now? We're making new buildings with pieces of the ship. I'm doing it to keep my mind off of how many are gone, I imagine it's the same for others."

I walk up beside them and start helping to clear the rubble. We work in silence until the sun starts peeking up again. When the light touches us, they take a break to sit, and I decide to do the same.

We look out over the city to see what progress has been made. The central mountain seems to have been mostly left alone, but some walls are starting to go up around it. Maybe to keep the rubble contained? The whole street we're on has been cleared and the threads are starting to heal, tiny tracers marking where they're going to grow next. I wonder which will finish first: our construction or the thread regrowth. 

"What do you think happens to us after we die?" The question catches me off guard. "Do you think we just… stop existing?"

"I don't know," I respond honestly. I know what will happen to me if I partially die, but what if I get killed permanently? What then? 

"I just hope there's something. I want to believe my friends are somewhere nice, now that they're-" their voice breaks. 

I pull them into a hug. "Shh, it's alright, I'm sure they are." I don't know if I believe my own words, but I need to help them however I can. If I look like an elder now, if I've taken their body to keep living, I should at least try to act the part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for a special edition of something called "the shit my editor and I do while we should be working on something else"
> 
> Then Sheel put on cat ears and said NYA and GAOOOO but the grineer didn't know Sheel was cute so they ran away  
Then Tyl Regor clapped them cheeks cuz he got mad dancing skillz 
> 
> Lol sheel turned into a cat-thing that gained the popularity of an idol across the solar system and achieved peace due to their unending affection and admiration for him.  
Then other idols started appearing, leading to a giant idol face-off through the galaxy hosted by none other than Tyl Regor, Octavia, and the Man in the Wall, because fuck yeah  
no lotus tho. She a participant  
Lololololol do it people are gonna cringe and laugh hehehehehehehe it could totally happen. Plus, Simaris could be a participant too! A VIRUS THAT TURNED HIM INTO AN IDOL HAHDFHDSKLFHLDSKFH
> 
> Then Suda laughs at him bc he realized the truth that music is lit


	8. Chapter 8

The night sky has been incredibly beautiful lately. Streaks of light race across it every once in a while, and the simple pleasure of it has given us all so much joy. There are so many mysteries in this world that we just don’t understand, but we really don’t need to in order to appreciate them.

Ever since learning how to control my new abilities, I have been in such a good mood. Even the knowledge that I might accidentally steal someone’s body isn’t enough to dampen it. 

The rebuilding is going well, and mourning over those that are no more has ended. We also welcomed a new bunch of freshly turned people into our midst, after they had woken up from the crashed ship. They’re a pretty rowdy bunch, and they love tussling in the streets. Our healers have been pretty stressed over it, since they actually will break something once in a while. I think the healers need to loosen up a bit.

Even with the new additions, though, the population of our city is much lower than when I awoke. 

I still love lying down and relaxing in the sun. No matter what body I’m in, I think that will stay the same. Its warmth soaks through me, and I feel peaceful, though perhaps a bit sluggish. I hear some people racing up the street, and I open a couple eyes to see what’s going on. I try to scramble out of the way, but to no avail. A small person bounces off my stomach and dashes away, closely pursued by two others who thankfully decided to jump  _ over _ me. 

“Soorrryyyyy!!!” came the cry as they sprinted down the street.

_ Owww, dang kids. Wait, when did I get so old? _ Despite myself, I smile. I glance back up and notice something odd. One of the streaks of light that we usually see during the night is hurtling through the sky, outshining the sun. It splits into two pieces, one large and one small. The large one goes sailing over the horizon, while the smaller piece goes over us, crashing into the sand just past our field of vision. Thunderous rumbles and explosions herald its arrival, followed by a shockwave that knocked me off my feet.

The whispers exploded. I filter through them, sensing that nobody was hurt, just afraid. I run to find other elders to see if there’s anything that needs to be done. They tell me that I should just try to comfort the newly awakened as they might be the most scared. Once everyone calmed down, we would have a more formal meeting.

I wander off to find some of the newly awakened but I quickly realize they don’t need comforting at all. They are clamoring over one another, excited by the giant thing that fell from the sky.

“That was so cool!”

“What do you think it is?”

“We should go check it out!”

“Nobody is going to be checking that thing out,” I interrupt. “We don’t know what it is, and since it might be dangerous, we’re going to stay here where it’s safe.”

The group starts to complain. “No, no complaining. I know it’s exciting and new, but we need to be sure something is safe before anybody touches it.”

They grumble and wander away. A few of them shoot mutinous glances at me. I worry, but hopefully they follow my orders. After making sure they are walking  _ away _ from the impact site, I go to meet back up with the other elders.

“Do you think we should send a party out to see what’s going on?” someone started.

“I don’t think so. What if it’s dangerous?”

“I, for one, know it’s going to be dangerous. After all, when anything odd happens, the invaders aren’t far behind. We don’t want to be in their line of fire if we can help it," one of the oldest said.

“Fair point,” and “agreed," came the responses.

As usual, I didn’t contribute anything to our brief meeting. Even though I’m an “elder,” I don’t have the experience to say anything of value. Sometimes I wonder if I ever will. They don’t say it out loud, but I can tell that they are nervous because I took the body rather than earning it like they did. Personally, I’m still curious about what that thing was, but I’d rather stay safe for now.

Just like that elder said, within a day the invaders had come to check out the impact site. Another one of their ships landed, but we never heard it take off again. When a couple days had passed and there was no change, some of the elders actually relaxed. They suggested that the invaders had simply left when nobody was paying attention. I’m not so sure they are right, but I’m not going to speak out against them for now. 

A couple weeks passed with no change, and no sign of the invaders. At this point, even I had forgotten about the incidents.

This proved to be a mistake.

I stare out at the sand, completely lost in lack of thought, when I hear something very strange through the whispers.

_ ...ll...il...k...ki...kill...kill, kill, killlllll! _

This isn’t someone that I know thinking this, they’re voices that feel… wrong, somehow. I set off to find the others to see what’s going on.

_ Kill...consume...kill...consume... _

The other whispers are getting louder, getting closer. I need to find the others.

Thankfully, a louder whisper overrides the other ones, and I can tell this is from an elder.  _ Everyone, we are being attacked by another strain of infested. These are not your friends, you  _ must _ defeat them! _

Another strain? Regardless, they need my help. I run across the city as fast as I can and reach the wall closest to the impact site in time to witness something horrifying. A massive herd of infested are charging at us, their whispers absolutely deafening. Despite the single-mindedness of their thoughts and the viciousness of their charge, I couldn’t help but actually look at them. Most of them look like I used to before I got this body, and others look like some of the people in our city. Despite being a reflection of us, they were here to kill, not befriend.

Our elders were clamoring, trying to assess the battle.

“No sign of healers in their midst, we should be alright!”

“They don’t have any flame users either!”

“I can’t feel any magnetic energy, but wait. What the hell is that?”

“Oh, shit.”

I turn back to the oncoming horde, and notice a strange figure. Over one of the dunes, in the middle of the swarm, a single infested towers over the others and races even faster. It pushes to the head of the pack, and lets out a monstrous bellow. Its hard, black armor glinted in the sun, an eerie green glow coming from its stomach.

“We’re fucked, they’ve got a juggernaut!”


	9. Chapter 9

We don’t have time to plan, we don’t have time to think. The non-powered people rush to the front to prepare for battle, while the elders and others with power start working their magic. I start channeling my own fire into the others, hoping it will be enough. 

The two lines collide all too soon. The sound of the bodies crunching together is disgusting. When we attack the invaders that aren’t infested, they die quickly, probably because they are more fragile than we are. But this time, fighting our own kind, things are different. We are durable, and even missing half our bodies, we can fight on. The front lines tore into each other, limbs and sprays of fluid flying up in a disgusting mist. Our healers almost instantly fell to their hands and knees from the effort and the stress of being linked with the ones that had died already.

At first, our side seems to be winning, with all of the boosts we have from our abilities. Our smallest fighters are still able to stand up to theirs, and the diversity in fighting styles seem to be making an impact. But the second their juggernaut entered the fray, we knew we are on borrowed time.

The monstrous figure charges right through our line, scattering everybody in its way like they are weightless. It rears up on its hind legs to come down on one of our biggest fighters, who is completely dwarfed by the juggernaut. The impact shook the ground itself. The thing isn’t done yet, though. The brute opens its maw, taking hold of our fighter’s head. With a powerful heave, it rips our fighter asunder, dark ichor seeping into the ground from the wound.

It is at that moment that our battle is lost, but we keep fighting on. While the non-powered continue tearing into each other, everybody else targets the juggernaut. 

Through some unspoken signal, the flame users move first. We summon a massive pillar of fire around the beast, hitting it with so much power that the ground beneath it starts bubbling. But instead of screams of agony, or at least showing us a twitch of pain, it starts… laughing. It opens its cavernous mouth again, and lets out a cackle.

“Wonderful, simply  _ wonderful _ ! I haven’t felt this close to death in  _ centuries _ ! If I weren’t so very, very hungry, I’d love to brawl with you well into the night. But my underlings and I have a mission. There’s so much  _ life _ here to take as ours, and since you’re obviously against us, we’ll just have to consume you first!” 

After declaring its intent, the juggernaut charges out of our pillar of flame like it isn’t even there. It tackles a powered person, ripping them in half. Part of its back opens up and spikes shoot out, impaling several more. I scan the battlefield, trying to see if there is any hope left.

Our people have been nearly wiped out. The moment that we powered turned away, our forces lost their critical edge. Parts of them lay strewn across the battlefield. I see few corpses that are still recognizable, but the rest have been ripped apart, the ground around them slick with fluid. In the back, I can see our adversaries start to consume the bodies, absorbing their matter to repair their wounds.

I turn back, and realize that only a couple other elders are still alive with me. In the span of a few seconds, the juggernaut killed everyone. It turns, and before I can react its jaws are closing over me. I feel several things snap as pain blossoms in my body. The thing’s mouth is so big that it manages to sever my arms and legs, along with parts of my sides. The agony is excruciating, but it only gets worse. I can feel the juggernaut’s body absorbing mine. At first, my extremities feel very cold, then like they are on fire. As more of my body screams at me, I notice the numbness setting in. I can’t feel my body at all after what seems like just a few seconds. 

I’m dimly aware that the juggernaut has stopped moving. The only thing that can mean is that the battle is lost, and that all of my friends, my  _ family _ , have been wiped out. 

I can feel my consciousness fading; that’s not good. What was it that one infested said? Where do we go when we die? Just as soon as that thought crosses my mind, another takes its place. I might not die. If something goes wrong, or maybe if it goes right, I will take over this body.

The thought both excites and sickens me. I can use this body to take revenge on those that killed my people, and even wipe out the entire opposing horde.

But maybe I can take my revenge further. Twice now, invaders from the outside world had come to kill us. What if I went to destroy them? See how they like it? I dimly recall something that gives me pause, though. I think I remember something else, about people from the outside not killing us, but working with us. I can see it, and a sense of wonder accompanies it. A white suit? A ship tinged in blue? A voice that–


	10. Chapter 10

When I came back to life for the first time, it was like I was being reborn. I simply woke up, and the memories were pretty quick to return. This time was different.

I become dimly aware of noises around me, and I occasionally see a flash of light. Overriding both of those, however, is the overwhelming presence of someone else’s mind. I feel thoughts that aren’t mine racing through me. 

_ Hah, those little shits were hardly worth my time. Things got pretty toasty for a bit, though, so I got a good laugh! _

These thoughts keep ridiculing my people, calling us weak. They talk about how shabby our city looks, and that they shouldn’t stay for long. Laughter is never far away for this infested, and it rocks my mind constantly.

_ Well, despite not talking much, you all follow orders well enough. Once we finish eating the bodies here, we’re going to press on. Maybe the next spot will have a better challenge! _

I did wonder why nobody seems to be talking to the juggernaut, and why the whispers are so dull. It seems that the horde it commands doesn’t have any individuality, they just react to outside forces and orders.

Days pass, I think, and I start to see more, hear more, feel more. I start planning for my revenge. Since the horde reacts as one, the second I attack them, they’re going to pile on me. I need to make sure I’m ready for it.

_ Huh? That’s odd, feels like someone else is in my head. Are you little monsters trying to play tricks on me? Bahaha! You aren’t clever enough for that. Still pretty good, though! _

Looks like the juggernaut is starting to notice me. What’s going to happen when I’ve taken over half of the body? Are we going to fight somehow? Are we going to freeze the body because neither of us can win control? Ah, but I need to bide my time, stop thinking. It’ll be my time to move soon.

I wait for another few days, but I’ve run out of time.

_ Hah! That was the last one, it’s time to head out, my mindless little friends! _

No, we can’t head out, not yet! I need to see my city, I need to see if anyone is left! I can see from every eye, I can hear from every ear. I can feel the tingle of life from every extremity, and I realize, I’m in control.

I stand on  _ MY _ four legs, and let out a hearty bellow. “I’ve won!” I rear up, kick at the air a couple times, and come down on the ground hard. I expect a little bit of pain, but I underestimate just how strong this body is. The earth cracks under my feet but I don’t feel a thing.

The people milling around me pause, and their whispers unite not so much in a word, but in a feeling. They wonder what’s going on.

“Haha, don’t worry, I just need to do some thinking for a bit!”

The shock that the juggernaut’s original mind had finally wore off.

_ What the fuck is going on? Why can’t I move my body, and who the hell are you, even? _

I gather myself, ready for whatever turns this conversation may take.  _ My name is Sheel, first of all. As for what’s going on? You ate me a while ago, but you didn’t know what I was. The others called me a “reviver” or something. Basically, if I die, I can steal a body or build a new one. _

_ Shit, you gotta be kidding me. So you took me over from within? _

_ That’s about the shape of it. _ I sigh externally.  _ I don’t know if I feel bad about it, though. You killed everyone important to me. You killed everyone, actually. _

My conversation partner produces a mental chuckle.  _ Yeah, I wanted to test my mettle against others, and you all stood in my way. I thought I was victorious, but would you look at me now! _ They pause for a while before continuing.  _ You know, I was pretty lonely, though. I’m sure you’ve noticed the others here aren’t too big on conversation. Luckily, I get to share my own head with someone else! Well, I guess it’s your head now. _

_ Can you still see? _

_ Oh yeah, I can still see. I can even hear. I can’t feel my ass, though. _

_ Well, enjoy the show, then. _

_ Sure thing, Sheel. Make it a good one! _ I don’t know what it is, but I can sense a bittersweet feeling from them. I put it aside for the moment.

I stretch out my legs, and flex the strange maw on my back and on my face. I can feel how the upper maw can launch spines, while the lower one has some wicked teeth. Digging deeper into myself, I feel the fire I had in my previous body. It feels a little different, though, and I realize that it’s because I have multiple sources for the energy in me, coming from the other powered infested the juggernaut ate. Drawing on all of the power, I summon a gigantic pillar of fire and push it outward. The parts of the horde nearest to me are incinerated on the spot, but the ones further out are just knocked away. I gather the flames around myself and charge.

_ Bwahaha! This is excellent, Sheel! _

I run over the survivors, stomping them into the ground, leaving smoldering footprints in my wake. They start trying to retaliate, but I’ve already killed most of them. The rest crumble under my feet and flames, and soon, things are quiet again.

_ Incredible, just incredible. I never dreamed I’d be this strong! Guess I’m not, really, since you’re in control, but it’s still so great to witness. Though Sheel, what are you going to do now? _

I look around. All I see are dead bodies, ruined buildings, and the persistent gray threads.  _ There’s nothing left for me here. All my friends are dead, and now yours are too. I’m just–I’m just going to walk around a bit. Say goodbye to my city. I can never call this place home again, though, so I’ll have to go somewhere. _

_ That’s fair. I hope we meet some strong people, I want to see how far you can go! _

I start wandering through the city. I suppose I’m giving the juggernaut a little bit of a tour.  _ This is where I was given my name, which means just over that way is where I first woke up after being turned. Here’s the open space I’d use to sunbathe most often. Oh, this is the city center that got destroyed. A lot of people died. _

I continued my tour, pointing out anything of significance. I went past the wall to the training area.  _ This is where I learned to use my powers. And, I guess that’s it. _

_ A lot of memories here, then. I guess… I’m sorry. _ Their thoughts seem to trail off faster this time.

I look out at the horizon and see the sun starting to set.  _ I think… I think I forgive you. _

_ … Thanks, Sheel. _

We sit in silence while the sun sinks lower.

_ Hey Sheel? What do you think is going to happen to me? _

_ What do you mean? _

_ It’s getting really hard to think. I can’t feel anything anymore, and I don’t think I can hear, either. I’m pretty sure that I can only see out of one eye, now.  _

_ Which one? _

_ On the left and up a bit. _

I rotate so that eye is looking at the horizon.

_ Ah, there’s the sun. But… what happens now? I’m… fading. _

_ I don’t know. What do you think happened to my friends when you killed them? _

_ I bet... they went to an awesome... brawl in the sky!  _

_ Then maybe you’ll wind up there too. _

_ What about you, Sheel? _

_ I can’t seem to die, so I don’t know. Maybe sometime far in the future I’ll find you up there too. _

_ Ah, that… would be great. Maybe we’d be able to have… a proper fight. _

_ Maybe. _

The sun disappeared.

_ You never told me your name. _

_ Hah, my… name? It’s been… a long time… It’s… _

A long time passes as the cool air of the night settles around me.

_ Hey, you still there? _

There’s no response. I start to panic.  _ You-you never told me your name! _

Still nothing. I slowly get up, realizing I’m completely alone now. My emotions come flooding out all at once and I howl with all the strength I have. The sound echoes in the night, dissipating with nobody to hear it.

I think a few days pass before I move again. I slowly stand, stiff from inaction. I take one last glance at my city before walking away from it. The sand stretches out before me, seemingly endless.

_ I guess it’s time for me to move on. _


	11. Chapter 11

I’m not really sure how long I’ve been wandering through the sand any more. I’ve seen the sun go up and down many times, but I haven’t bothered keeping count. All the dunes look the same, so I can’t even be sure I’m still going in the same direction as when I left. I’m going to keep on going, though.

I think I see something in the distance, but I don’t know how to describe it. It looks sorta green, but not green like some of my friends were, it’s a much shinier shade of green. I finally have something to go towards, so I start running.

The green stuff keeps growing in my field of vision until it towers above me. Apparently, the green stuff is only at the top of whatever those things are, the rest of it is a strange shade of brown. I wonder what these giant things are?

Before I actually reach them, I realize that the ground is now covered in green stuff too, not sand any more. I look closer, and see that it’s made of very fine tufts of material, about as thin as the very finest of the threads back in the city. I lift up my feet and realize that I’ve crushed some of the stuff. Apparently I’m too heavy for it. The only way to get to the mysterious tall things is to go through this area, though, so I try to tread softly.

As I pick my way through, I see other things dotting the land. They come in all sorts of colors and sizes, and when I look closer I see that they’re connected to thin green threads as well. This place is so much more beautiful than my city ever was.

I creep up to one of the colorful things to take a look. The colorful bits are divided into little lobes coming out from a central point. While I look at it, a tiny creature bumbles its way into that center part. I wonder what it’s doing? After a few moments it wanders off, flying through the air in a strange pattern. There are so many strange things in this outside world, I wonder what I’ll find in the tall things?

I get distracted looking at all the different colors, and don’t realize the sun is going down until the chill hits me. I carefully find a spot to lay down, eventually drifting off to sleep.

When I wake up, I continue looking at all the different things there are in this strange place. If I pay very close attention, I see more of those tiny creatures wandering about, landing on the colorful things, then taking off a bit later. I wander myself, until I find that I’ve looped back on my own trail. At first I think nothing of it, but I notice something a little off about the ground. I take a closer look, and recoil a bit. Gray threads are growing in between the thin green things, even climbing up some of the sturdier ones. Several patches of the stuff have turned brown, and I can tell that the gray threads are killing them. I frantically look around, and see that one of the colorful things has lost its luster as well. The threads have climbed up it, and it has completely wilted.

_ Is this what it means to be infested? Do we have to corrupt everything we touch? This place was so beautiful before, but now it’s going to look gray and uniform like the city did. _

I get brought out of my thoughts by a sizzling sound. My frustration brought out my flames, and they were starting to burn the stuff around me. 

_ Fire will kill the gray threads. I need to save as much of this beautiful area as I can, so I need to burn everything that I’ve touched. _ I bathe myself in flames and retrace my steps, charring a path through the field. Just to be safe, I cover the area a little bit outside of my path too. I want the infestation to stay away from this colorful place, so full of life. 

But where did the seeds come from? Did I carry them all the way from the city? If so, does that mean I shouldn’t explore any further because of the risk that I would corrupt the landscape?

I go back out into the sand. I brought infested seeds to this place. Fire clears the infested growths. After pondering, it clicks. I know what I need to do.

I summon the flames around me, bringing them close to my skin.  _ Needs to be hotter. _ The fire goes from red to white.  _ Hotter _ . The fire turns blue. I feel a dull sensation of pain.  _ Hotter! _ I hear the outside of my body popping and hissing even over the bubbling of the sand under my feet. I feel the heat burning away my skin, taking whatever seeds there might have been with it. I keep torturing myself like this until I can’t bear it any more, then I go a little bit further. 

When I finally let the flames go out, my body is screaming in agony. Some of the plates on my back have fused together, and I very nearly blinded some of my eyes. I am fairly sure that I have cleansed myself of the seeds from the city, but I want to make sure. I go back into the field of green and walk in a small circle, then I sit and wait.

After three days pass, I can tell that the threads aren’t growing any more. I sigh in relief and stand up despite the protesting of my skin. I can explore now without having to worry about destroying the things I come across.

Despite myself, I laugh. This world is so big, and I get to explore all of it! With the beauty that I’ve seen so far, I can only imagine what else there is out there.


	12. Chapter 12

I’m wandering through the towering brown things, admiring how tall they are and at the same time how different each one is from another. Unlike lots of the buildings in the city, every one of these things has its own characteristics and even animals skittering on them. The light here is dim, similar to the middle of my old home,  _ no, don't think of the past _ , but the light that filters through the endless clusters of green above me is a soft golden color. 

The sounds of this place are strange as well. There are whistling noises that form pretty melodies, sharp barks and growls once in a while, and all sorts of other calls that these new animals make. I see creatures fairly often, but they never seem to give me much more than a passing glance, which I find odd. Once, after waking up from a nap, I even discovered a few had settled on my back to sleep as well! After I started moving they flitted away, though, which made me sad.

I can see that the towering scenery is actually thinning out a bit, though. When I walk a bit further, I see that there are strange buildings in a clearing up ahead. I slow my approach, nervous of what I might find. I peek up over a large root to scout the area, but I quickly hide again (no easy feat given my size, but the towering things provide ample cover). The whole area is crawling with people that look like the invaders that I fought the first time I died.

What should I do? I’m pretty sure that if they see me, they’ll try to kill me. Should I try attacking them head-on and hope for the best? I don’t think so. While I can come back from death, the actual act of dying hurts quite a bit. Not only that, I’m not really sure how sturdy this body is, so I'm not sure if I could win. 

Just as I decide that my best plan is to wait and see how these people act, I hear some people cry out in a harsh language. My blood runs cold, as I’m sure that means they saw me, so I jump out from my cover, ready to fight. But none of them are looking at me. Rather, there seems to be a fight going on near one of the buildings, and all the others are running to help. Splashes of crimson erupt from their bodies as they approach, which makes me curious as to what is going on.

When I look closer, and see that three individuals, far different from the invaders around them, are cleaving through the crowd like it isn’t even there. Their bodies are shiny and lithe, quite unlike the dull and bulky armor of their foes. Despite myself, I chuckle. These people are incredible! They dance through their enemies, performing such elegant maneuvers. Not only that, they’re  _ beautiful _ .

I can tell that they have powers, too. One of them is followed by a couple creatures made of rocks, one of them keeps disappearing, and the third is using… fire. They're hurling spheres of flame at the enemies while remaining cloaked in it too. I'm instantly fascinated by that one, to the point I can't avert my eyes. They're sorta like me. 

Before I know it, the area falls silent. Every one of the invaders is dead and the shining warriors didn't seem to even get scratched. I'm in awe. They wipe themselves and their weapons clean, then lean over to scratch some strange creatures that follow them. The thinnest creature perks up its ears and looks in my direction. I scramble to hide again, but I hear a strange sound and look up. A trio of odd ships descends, the warriors get in, and they leave.

I wonder if I narrowly avoided another death. 

I explore the area, marveling at how thorough they were. Most of the bodies were either cut in half or had sizable chunks blown out of them. After wandering for a while, I did find two people that were still alive. One was missing both legs and had an arm pinned under a rock, while the other was among the small ones, and seemed mostly unhurt. The pinned one was panting with short breaths while the other cried over them.

When the small one noticed me, they backed away in fear, cowering in the corner they were trapped in. I approached the pinned one, observing them. Having been so close to death myself, I knew they didn't have much time left. I raised a massive foot and placed it on their head. They raised a shaky arm, placing it on my foot as if to give me their blessing. 

The crunch was muffled by my foot. 

The small one had stopped making noise and was instead just staring at me. I looked them over, and dismissed them. I made my way to the edge of the clearing and nestled beside one of the towering things. It was late in the day, and I was feeling sleepy. Just before passing out, I saw the small survivor wandering around and looking over the bodies much as I had. 

When the morning sun warmed my back, I opened my eyes to a strange sight. The small survivor from yesterday was sleeping only a short distance from me. Were they not afraid of me? Maybe the mass slaughter of everyone else had numbed their senses. Regardless, I can't even speak their language, so I guess I'll just ignore them. 

When I get up to continue my journey, the survivor startles and jumps up. I lumber away, noticing their cautious gaze. For some reason, they start following me. I see that they have a large pack with them, though I have no idea what it contains. I suppose I have a new, albeit strange, travel companion.

They look so fragile… am I really allowed to make a new "friend?" Everyone else I've ever known is dead, and mass killings seem to follow me around. I hope I don't get too attached to them, my hearts can't take another loss. 


	13. Chapter 13

I’m still wandering around with the strange invader. They tire out much easier than I do, so we have to stop and rest perhaps more often than I like. Every once in a while, they pull a small container of gray slop from their pack, eat the contents, then toss the empty container off to the side of our ill-defined path. As such their pack has been getting lighter, and I’d say they’ve used about half of it. I wonder what’s going to happen if they run out.

The whole forest looks pretty much the same no matter how far we go, so I almost wonder if I’ve looped back on my own trail sometimes. Occasionally, there will be a clearing, sometimes just with a green field, sometimes with a little lake in it. My companion is always excited to find water, practically plunging their head in to whatever source we find to take a drink. It must be hard to not be infested, what with the actual need to eat and drink. We only feed if we want to get bigger or if we start feeling lethargic (every few years from what the others told me, but I mustn’t think of them). 

After who knows how many days, I feel something very strange that stirs up some unpleasant memories. I hear whispers, meaning more infested were nearby. With mixed feelings, I follow the sound until I see the large building they had taken. It’s in the middle of a large clearing, but instead of the usual green field, this one is full of gray threads that seem to be draining the life out of the earth itself. The tower has red and yellow boils sporadically on the outside, as if anyone could mistake who lived there. I stop, and I feel my companion stop too.

I strain to listen to the whispers, to gauge what sort these were. I start to catch some phrases.

_ Come, rest with us. _

_ Don’t be troubled by living. _

_ Let us take away your pain. _

_ Sleep, that you may be made whole with us. _

Their offers sound so nice, and I have been so lonely. I wander closer to the building, entering the gray field. Once I do, though, the tone of the whispers changes. Now, in addition to the messages from before I hear a new one. 

_ A visitor! It’s time… It’s time to feed! _

Once I detect that, I snap out of my trance. That’s right, most infested are evil, they killed my city, and they tried to kill me. I must purge this place.

I summon my flames, and I hear a small noise from the edge of the forest. I start dashing through the field, charring every gray thread I can find, slowly working my way inwards to the tower. When I started burning the threads, the whispers changed their tone again.

_ It’s hurting us! We need to kill it! _

People start pouring from the building, rushing towards me. I met them head-on, incinerating them. I kill a surprising number of them before they stop coming right for me.

_ We can’t kill it, it burns us! _

_ We must hide! _

They start running back to the building, but I’m not going to let them escape. I trample all the ones in my path as I head to the opening in the tower.

Once inside, I summon as much power as I can and push out with my flames. The corridor instantly catches fire, and it spreads to the rest of the building with shocking speed. The whispers lose coherence, simply consisting of screams now. After a while, even the screams stop.

I walk out of the tower, and watch as the fire destroys it. After it falls over, and only embers remain, I turn to go back into the forest. Surprisingly, my travelling companion is still watching. I wonder what they think of an infested killing other infested? Maybe it isn’t strange, after all, I don’t know much about the outside world.

We resume our journey, a thin trail of smoke rising behind us. Strangely, rather than trailing a ways behind me, my companion now walks beside me. I suppose they aren’t fond of the infested either, though I don’t know why they’ve grown so attached to me.


	14. Chapter 14

I keep pressing on, going in a roughly straight line to make sure I’ll never wind up where I started. Only one more day passes before I see a strange building. Its curves seem so natural, even though its gold and white coloring clearly don’t belong in the surroundings. And yet, even with the creeping green growths at its base, the building seems somehow timeless. My travelling companion gasps at the sight, probably just as awed at the structure as I am.

I only pause for a moment before going to explore. As I approach, the large doors creak a bit, but still slide open with relative ease. I wonder how old this building is? When I step across the threshold, cool air washes over me, making me forget how warm it was outside. 

My travelling companion enters as well, and after we move a few paces, the doors slide shut again, a bit smoother this time. The gentle motion makes me feel happy for some reason.

Warm, golden light permeates the hall, reflecting off the white walls. There are some truly strange looking growths in here, composed of white fibres that give off a soft light of their own. The building isn’t very large, and it seems to be composed of just one room. At the far end there is what was once a large circular fixture, though it’s clearly broken, with some of the machinery poking out of the walls and other pieces littering the floor around it. 

I wonder what this room was, once upon a time. I doubt the invaders lived here, the way they look is just too different. Even that one person I saw back in a different life doesn’t seem right. Whoever they were, they must have been beautiful and kind.

My companion is rooting around through the handful of boxes around the walls. Not sure what they’re looking for, but some things are being discarded, while they put others into their pack. I watch them for a bit. I can’t understand their language, and I don’t know why they do… whatever it is they’re doing. Maybe someday we’ll understand each other.

I make my way to the back of the room, curious about the circular thing. The bits and pieces that I can see are very intricately worked, with thin golden threads intertwining bigger white and grey pieces.

I hear a faint humming off to one side, which I find a bit odd. After all, I’m pretty sure the only things left working here are the lights. I turn towards the sound and notice a strange looking box, one of the ones that’s a fair bit taller than my companion. The edges of the box look a bit fuzzy, almost like they aren’t actually there. I take a couple steps towards it, and it  _ moves _ . The next moment, the box is gone, and in its place is a weird tan and red… shape. I don’t really know how to describe it.

Before I can think, the thing rushes at me. I dodge, but one of its arms hits me, nearly tipping me off balance. Whatever this thing is, it’s powerful. I hear a cry from elsewhere in the room as my companion notices the fight.

I summon my flames, and hit the thing with all of my strength. At first, I think it’s working, as its edges start burning away. charring, and it retreats. But after a few seconds, I can tell the flames aren’t as effective, and moments later, the flames are doing nothing at all. 

I let my power fade, and the thing rushes at me. It beats me back, each blow resonating through my carapace, several of them putting dents in me. For the first time since occupying this body, I feel pain. 

I dig deep inside myself, trying to find something else to use. I feel the glimmers of another power, but I don’t know how to use it, so I let it loose. Purple energy ripples over my foe, yanking it in random directions, some of the smaller parts shearing off from the strain. After about the same amount of time, though, the power stops affecting it.

Once again, it rallies against me, but it pulls something completely different. It sends beams of light towards me, and they start searing straight through my armor. 

I bellow in pain, and launch a volley of spines from my back. They pierce through the thing in several spots, injuring it even further, but the burning light doesn’t stop. I feel the outer layer of my carapace melt away, and the light starts cutting through my much softer insides. I don’t have much time left.

I charge at my opponent, catching it in my jaws. I put one of its limbs under each of my front feet, and I start pulling. It groans in pain, joints creaking, but it doesn’t let up firing. It starts shooting at my belly, and I nearly let go of it to cry out, but I keep my resolve. 

I keep pulling, and even though I can feel it trying to adjust, my desperation is winning out. With a desperate heave, both my foe and I give one last furious push. I tear the thing asunder, and its lights go dim, but I feel my entire back half separate from me, my now unsupported torso hitting the ground.

I collapse on top of the thing, my body seeping fluids from the few points that haven’t been completely cauterized. I feel much lighter without my carapace, but I sense just how much smaller I am after that fight. Most of the left side of my head is gone, my back half is gone, and I’ve had several of my outer layers removed. I can feel the wall of pain coming for me as the heat of battle fades, and I’m not ready.

As I writhe in agony, I see my companion creeping my way. I want to tell them to stay back, but I don’t know how, so I spit a tiny blob of toxic gunk their way. I think they got the idea and backed off.

After a minute of the pain, I start feeling rather lightheaded, and I notice darkness tinging the edges of my vision.

_ Dammit, not again. Please, companion, don’t come near me, I don’t want to absorb you. _

With that thought, I die, yet again.


	15. Chapter 15

This resurrection feels a little bit different from other ones. For one, I can tell that my body is smaller this time, but stranger than that is how my limbs feel. Once my eyes focus, I try to see what’s going on with them. Sticking out from the flesh of what is now my arms are pieces of that strange enemy I fought, two protrusions coming from my shoulders and two from my elbows. In a similar fashion, two more pieces protrude past the ends of my legs, making them longer than what I can feel. I actually can’t feel any of those parts, they’re just sort of… there.

I continue taking stock of my new form. I’m strangely slender now. My general shape is similar to my travelling companion’s actually. Wait, I wonder how they are.

I glance around and see them lying near the entrance, empty cans of their food stuff surrounding them. Did they really wait there for the whole time it took me to resurrect? It usually takes a week or two. I guess their old life is gone, but why did they stay?

No matter, I still have some things to check. I can sense power in me, but not nearly as much as I had in my juggernaut body. Instead of the six or seven sources, I think I’m down to two. I have hands again, but not being able to feel a large part of my leg is going to take some getting used to.

I clamber to my feet, but I stumble into a wall and crash to the ground again. The noise startles my companion, and they wake up, bolting to their feet. I wave at them, but they shrink against the wall. I struggle back to my feet, using my wall as a guide. I doubt they’ll know that I’m the same person as the one they walked in with. How can I tell them that?

I glance over what remains of my previous body, then stumble towards it.  _ Thank you, nameless juggernaut, for protecting me this far. I guess this is where we part ways. _

Though why didn't my body use all of the matter around? I suppose most of it was hurt pretty bad by the fight, but it's still odd. After patting the corpse, I notice threads creeping out from the body and trailing a little way across the floor. Is there still living matter in the body? Aside from that, does this mean I'm infectious again?

I’ll have to burn the corpse and my outer layer of skin. I don’t want to spread our disease where it doesn’t belong. But burning the whole body would be a waste, so I root through it, looking for any other sources of power that might have survived. I sensed one point, so I dig to find it. After pulling it out, I found a strange looking pair of devices linked with some intricate wires, very similar in style to the building I’m in. Even through the clumps of Infested flesh and ichor I can see gold and gray wires just like the ones poking from the wall.

I don’t really know what to make of this, so I shrug and press the devices into my body. They sink about halfway into my belly before it hurts, and I determine that’ll have to be good enough. Hopefully it will integrate, then I’ll be up to three sources of power.

Determining that’s the only salvageable piece, I ignite my power and torch the body, burning it until only ashes remain. Without missing a beat, I turn the flames on myself, cauterizing my outer layer of skin. Hopefully it will work like last time and prevent my disease from spreading.

Cleansing finished, I turn back to my travelling companion. They aren’t cowering any more, though they seem on guard. I suppose that’s the best I can hope for right now.

I stumble my way back upright then toddle towards the door. As I pass my companion, I wave for them to follow. The door slides open and I walk back out into the sun, my companion a safe distance away. After a moment of wayfinding, I continue in roughly the same direction as before. Somehow, the soft ground under my new feet makes it easier to balance, making my confidence in my walking ability rise.

After just a few more days of walking, two things strike me. One is that the enormous plants around me are getting smaller and further apart, the other is that my travelling companion is getting weaker. They’re dangerously low on food canisters, meaning if we don’t find more, they’ll probably die. I want to avoid this fate if possible, probably because I’ve grown attached to them too. It would be such a cruel fate to starve after travelling so far with me.

I press on, now with at least some form of purpose. I need to find people like them so they can get the food they need. 

Another day of travel later, and all that lies before us is green fields with the occasional rock protrusion, lake or larger plant. It’s a nice change of pace from the previous landscape if for no other reason than we can see more than a few body lengths in any given direction.

Far off in the distance, I detect thin trails of smoke. Smoke means fire, and with that little of it, the fire must be contained. I point, and my companion grows excited.

We continue walking, going up the side of a gentle hill. When we reach the top, we find ourselves looking down into a shallow depression littered with strange looking rocks and a few buildings in the distance. To each side I also notice some odd spires sticking from the ground, a faint blue glow emanating from them. At the furthest part of the region I see a gigantic tower rising from the land. I wonder what this place is.

My companion dashes down the hill shouting something. After just a few paces, however, they turn to look at me, slowing down. I motion for them to continue, then start backing away. They stop for a moment, wave at me, then continue on the path, returning to their own kind.

Well, I brought them to their people. I can’t go with them, though, because the others would probably try to kill me. I hope they’re happy now.


	16. Chapter 16

I found a small cave after my travelling companion left me, and that’s where I’m staying right now. I still have issues with my mobility outside of walking in a straight line, so I’m working on becoming a little more dextrous. I’m not sure if it’s a hallucination, but sometimes I almost feel like the protrusions are part of my body with actual sensory feedback. The feeling passes rather quickly however, leaving me to contemplate what it could be. 

A night and a day pass, after which I hear something odd. It sounds like my companion’s voice, though I don’t know why they would be looking for me. I creep out of my cave to investigate.

I home in on the source of the sound, and to my amusement it actually is my companion. I check to make sure there aren’t any others around, after which I reveal myself. Perhaps it’s dangerous to be out in the open, however, so I motion for them to follow. They eagerly come with me to my cave.

After seating ourselves, my companion starts talking in a very animated way. I haven’t ever seen them this excited. I believe that returning them to their people was the right plan. They continue on for a while before their voice trails off. They stand up and point one of their arms in my direction, angled slightly downwards.

I have never seen this behaviour, so I am unsure how to react. When they wiggle their arm a bit, I tentatively hold out my own. They grab my hand and shake it up and down a couple times before dropping it. I suppose this is a strange sort of ritual they perform.

They turn to leave. At the entrance of the cave, they turn my way and say a parting remark.

“Thanks for everything.”

I bolt upright, which shocks them. Did I just understand their speech? It must have been a fluke. They start talking again, and I make out a couple words. They’re worried something is wrong. But how is it that I can understand them after all this time?

They keep talking, so I focus, analyzing the way they talk. Maybe, if I can understand it, I can start to replicate it. I think I have a voice in this form, but I haven’t had any reason to use it, so it probably needs to be exercised. I conjure some words in my mind, and give it my best shot.

“Are… you… with… people?”

My companion stumbles back a pace and sits down in shock. “You can speak? … amazing I… speak… understand us.”

“I… learning… understanding.”

My companion continues chattering. The more they talk, the more I realize I can understand, until there are no holes in their dialogue at all. 

When they stop talking, I force one last sentence through my aching voice. “My… name… Sheel.”

“Sheel… How strange that you even have a name. You must be a very unique infested. After all, you killed others of your own kind, even burning them to prevent their spores from spreading. To think, we assumed you were all monsters, this is incredible!”

They continue talking for a while. I notice their pack, and see that it’s full of food containers again. I point at it.

“Oh, those? I don’t know how I feel about Vay Hek (I don’t know what that part meant, so I think it’s a name). The people in his forts seem miserable, and living on the Plains of Eidolon (??) is pretty tough for them. The ones that they’re trying to invade though, the Ostrons (I give up, the names are making my head spin) seem to be nice people. I think I’m going to try seeking shelter with them.”

They glance at me. “I don’t know what you should do, though. I’m fairly certain that people would try to burn you, but I can ask around, see if anybody knows anything about not dangerous infested, as strange as that is. If you wait here, I can come back with any news I may find.”

I croak out an affirmative, so they leave, heading out across the Plains towards the tower.

What a strange day. Somehow, I can understand them now, and even respond, albeit painfully. I’ll have to train my voice a bit so I can talk more freely.

A week later, I am sure of the strange things I’ve noticed about my new form. I can truly feel the protrusions as part of my body now, which makes using my legs so much easier. The thought that lingers in my mind, though, is why it took so long to integrate. With my other resurrections, my body was fully functioning right away. Is it because the parts I picked up weren’t from something squishy? I just don’t know.

Something strange happened after the integration completed. I discovered that I can channel a new sort of power, one vastly different from my usual flames.

I reach out with this new power, causing the air around me to ripple. I try to focus it, which results in a shape coalescing around me, making me look like the stone of the cave around me, though the illusion is shaky at best, collapsing after just a few moments.

Somehow, these new parts are giving me the ability to understand others, and also create some sort of illusions. I look at my legs and the protrusions from my arms.  _ Thank you, strange foe. You gave me some interesting gifts after our battle. I’ll try to use them well. _


	17. Chapter 17

I’ve been practicing with my illusions, and I’d say I’m getting pretty good with them. Well, I’m at least really good at being a rock. Trees and bushes are harder, though, because I have to make my “leaves” sway like they’re moving in the wind, but I can’t feel the wind unless it’s rather strong. A way around this, I’ve found, is to watch the plants around me and move when they do. I apparently got good enough at this that a few flying critters tried to land on my “branches,” squawking rather angrily when they discovered they were fake.

What I’ve been trying to do, however, is craft a form that I can take into areas with other people. I get so lonely out here by myself, and my thoughts finally caught up with me. I mourned over my friends that died, the juggernaut whose body I stole, and those souls that had been taken by the other strain of infested. I wonder if they can see me from wherever death takes us, and whether they’re proud of me.

On the walls of the cave, I scratched a crude drawing of my city, and some of its inhabitants. If I knew how to write, I would have put all of their names down too, but for now, they’ll have to remain in my memory. I hope I never forget them, it would be too sad if I died never having spread their story. But who would care about a city of infested?

Ah! But that form I’ve been working on. I’ve been trying to model an image based on my travelling companion, but it doesn’t feel quite right, since I’m so much taller than them. I feel like the face is wrong, though I don’t know how to fix it.

I hear footsteps outside my cave. Anxious, I cloak myself as a rock near one of the walls. A person walks in, wrapped in cloth that swayed around them while they moved. The person looks over their shoulder, then scans the cave for a bit.

“Hey, Sheel, are you there? It’s me.”

Wait, that’s my companion? They look so different now! I drop my illusion which causes them to jump.

“Yikes, when did you learn to do that?”

“Been practicing,” I respond, walking up to them.

“That’s pretty impressive, I’ve never seen anything like it.” They stare at me for a few moments. “What else can you mimic?”

“Trees, bushes. I’m trying people, but I don’t know how to do it.”

“Well, can you try looking like me?”

I nod, carefully examining them. I patch the illusion onto myself a bit at a time, eventually coming to look like a stretched-out version of them.

“Ah, I see the problem, your proportions are off. Try just rounding out your head a bit… yeah like that. Now broaden your body a touch… and just a little more here and here… there you go.” I do as they say while they prod various parts of the illusion. “Now change the face just slightly so you don’t look too much like me, even though I am a clone, I guess. Yeah, like that.”

“Does it look good now?”

“Oh dear, not when you try to talk. That was… actually pretty disturbing. Maybe you should just not talk or try facial expressions for now.”

I let the illusion fade. Putting that much effort into my disguise is really difficult.

“That was still pretty impressive. How long do you think you can keep an illusion going?”

“One that hard, maybe a quarter of the daylight.”

“Do you want to come visit Cetus? The locals still don’t trust me too well since I’m Grineer, but they recognized a lost soul well enough. Maybe they’ll like you.”

The thought caught me off guard. I knew I wanted to try meeting more people, but now? I wasn’t sure I was ready for it. Not only that, why are they still so trusting of me? I am infested.

“Why?”

“Why what?” they ask.

“Why do you trust me, even though I’m... “ I wave an arm at myself. “Well… infested.”

They think for a while, then shrug. “I don’t know. I guess I figured if you wanted to kill me, or infest me, it would have happened already. There was also that time when you incinerated the infested tower. I never thought that infested would kill other infested, and yet it happened right in front of me. Not only that, you burned them to keep the spores from spreading, didn’t you.” I nod. “And that weird thing when you came back to life? You burned yourself that time. Is that to stop any infection from spreading again?” I nod once more.

They sit down, looking up at me. “To tell you the truth, after my base got wiped out by the Tenno, I was  _ hoping _ that you would kill me. But after seeing what I did, I guess I came to trust you, even like you. Somehow, you were a diseased being that found a way not only to prevent it from spreading, but live with it and use your gifts to protect others, even if it was just me. Maybe I’m projecting a bit, but I found it inspiring. It gave me a reason to  _ live _ again.”

I was touched by what they had to say. The person that I had only considered a travelling companion I now considered a friend.

I reached down to pull them back to their feet. “Thank you for that, it means a lot to me. Friend.”

Their face cracked into a smile. “Now what do you say we bring you to Cetus?”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ran away from me with how long it got... whoops.

Cetus is incredible. There are so many people bustling about, and there are so many incredible colors on the clothes of the people, in piles of powder, and on the banners draped overhead. Despite having to wear a bland expression, most people smile and wave at my friend and me, welcoming us in a language I didn’t understand yet.

“I don’t speak Ostron, but there’s a few people here that understand Grineer, and most can understand my Common speech,” my friend told me. “Just try not to get separated from me.”

We wander about a while longer until something catches my eye. Near the massive gate, a collection of shiny people are gathering, some talking to the old man that stands near it. I point at them, looking at my friend.

“Ah, those are Tenno, like the ones that destroyed my base. I really don’t know how I feel about them. They seem to be like mercenaries, so I guess I can’t fault them if they were just following orders. But at the same time, they feel… dangerous.”

I motion in the opposite direction, towards the docks. 

“Yeah, let’s head that way.”

We move to the sand, looking out over the water. Once in a while, a ship will land nearby. Sometimes they’re little ships that discharge or pick up a Tenno, other times it’s ships like the one that visited my city so long ago. My friend calls those ships and people “Corpus.”

One such ship landed very near to us. A couple people walked out the back, and were talking loud enough that I overheard some of their conversation. I had been listening to enough Common today that I had a decent understanding, but what they said shocked me.

“Hey, did you hear the rumor about that miracle kid that can cure infested?”

“Nah, you gotta be kidding, there’s no way that’s true.”

“I’m serious! They say his name’s Arlo or something.”

“And he can cure people of the infestation?”

“Well, they say he can heal anything, but that his main thing is the infestation.”

I stiffen, and my friend notices. I point to the pair, and they nod, going over to chat.

“Where do they say this kid is?” they ask.

“On a small ship that travels around. I think they broadcast their coordinates if you want to check it out,” one of the Corpus replies.

Just then, another one of the shining Tenno walks up to them, a small child in tow. They make some motions, and the child speaks. “She wants to know if you can send her the coordinates, it sounds like something our friends would be interested in.”

“Why would they be interested? They sick?” 

“No, they just work with infested a lot, so I feel they’d be curious.”

The Corpus look at each other before one shrugs. “Sure, I’ll send it your way.”

The Tenno starts dragging the child away, but by some instinct I rush over and reach out for the shining figure. They turn to face me at my touch, but I freeze, knowing I shouldn’t talk.

Luckily, my friend came to my rescue. “Sorry about that, they can’t talk right now. I think they wanted to know about who you mentioned, the ones that worked with infested?”

“Oh, they’re really cool,” the child starts. “They’ve got a base here on Earth, and they brought their nice infested with them!” The Tenno nods.

My friend feigns shock rather well. “Nice infested? What in the Void do you mean?”

“They don’t get you sick when you touch them, and they’re really fun to play with!” The Tenno musses the child’s hair.

“Fascinating… Can you send me their coordinates?”

The Tenno looks hard at my friend, letting out a strange noise that’s a cross between a hum and a growl. They nod after a bit, though.

After saying goodbye, we retreat to my friend’s tent to chat. I gratefully let down my illusion, tired from keeping it up so long, especially with all the details I had to keep right.

“Apparently you aren’t the only safe infested,” my friend murmurs.

“Yeah, it’s amazing. I want to visit them. But I also want to check out that… Arlo, was it? Someone that can heal infestation… I feel like it’s too good to be true. But if they can, what could they do with me?”

“Good question. Well, we could always visit, see what’s up, but I don’t have a ship. Actually, I’ve got two sets of coordinates, and no way to get to them. Even the one here on Earth is halfway across the planet.”

“Do you think we could go with the Corpus people?”

“I’m sure if we had money, we could convince them to fly us wherever, but I don’t really have any.” My friend flops to the ground.

“What about that Tenno and the child?”

“What about them?”

“Do you think they could take us there?”

My friend thinks for a bit. “It’s possible, but I don’t know how I feel about that. The Tenno still freak me out, remember?”

“But if there’s someone out there like me…”

They sigh in exasperation, crawling back to their feet. “Fine, I’ll see if I can find them.”

“Thank you.”

They leave the tent, allowing me to think. If there’s other nice infested out there, I very much want to meet them. After all, everyone that I knew is dead now. But at the same time, I really want to see what a miracle infestation healer can do for me.

My friend pokes their head back in the tent. “They said they’ll take us, they were just about to check out Arlo anyways.”

I jump up, only just remembering to put up my illusion before leaving the tent. The Tenno and the child lead us to a little ship, and we pile on before heading to the skies.

After taking off, they Tenno nudges the child. “She wants to know why you two are curious about Arlo.”

My friend and I exchange a glance. “You said your friends work with tame infested, right?” the child nods. My friend looks at me. “Do you want to tell them?”

I think for a bit before letting my illusion slowly fade.

The child’s eyes go wide. “Coooool!” they exclaim, darting up to me. “Are you safe too?”

“Yeah, I burned myself to keep it that way.”

“Woooow, and you can talk too! Valkyr, isn’t this awesome?” the Tenno nods. “Lily’s going to love meeting this one. Are you infested too?” the child turns to my friend.

“No, I’m just a Grineer.”

“Aww…” the child says, looking disappointed. The Tenno gently smacks the back of his head. “I mean… that’s… cool?”

My friend laughs. “Nah, Sheel’s way more interesting than I am.”

“Sheel, is that you? You have a name?”

I nod. “It was given to me when I first woke up in my city.”

“Your city? Are there more like you?”

My friend turns to me, interested as well. So for the rest of our journey, I tell them the story of how I came to be. In parts, the child started crying a bit, and even my friend got a bit misty-eyed.

“That’s quite the adventure... “ the child says, staring at me in wonder. “It’s almost a shame you aren’t still a juggernaut.”

I laugh at the child’s innocence. “Well, I told you my story, so what’s yours? And that Tenno’s too,” I add, waving at the shining warrior.

“What do you mean, I’m the Tenno…” the child trails off. “Oh, that’s right. The Tenno are actually people like me, she,” the child waves at the warrior, “is my warframe.”

I try to puzzle through that for a bit, but the little craft shudders, indicating we docked with the ship Arlo was on.

“Well, let’s check this out, eh?” my friend says.

We enter the ship, and right off the bat I can feel that something’s a little off. A sign points the way, so we follow it to the central room of the ship, a large, open space. On a stage in the center stands a child, a larger person behind them. A like of people is leading to the child, each person approaching them, kneeling, and walking away.

After setting eyes on the kid, though, I figured out what was wrong. I could hear  _ whispers _ . How could the child heal infestation if they were infested themselves? Now that I was paying attention, I realized that other people had whispers coming from them too, mostly the people around the edges keeping watch, as well as the person behind the child. I got the vague sense that there were even more infested people on the ship hiding out of view.

_ Haha… fools… _

_ They’ll join us soon… _

_ Stay hidden for now… _

_ Spread slowly… _

I stop in my tracks, causing the child-no the Tenno to bump into me. “What’s wrong?” they ask.

“This, it’s all–it’s all a lie!” I whisper to my companions.

“What do you mean?” my friend responds, concerned.

“Arlo isn’t curing infestation, they’re  _ spreading _ it!”

The child’s face goes pale. “How do you know?”

“I can hear their thoughts because I’m infested too. They’re trying to spread the disease by somehow disguising themselves!”

“I do hope you see the irony in what you’re saying…” my friend says.

I look them dead in the eye. “I’m serious. We need to leave,  _ now _ .”

A few people from the edge of the room notice our group, and start heading our way. The Tenno picks up the child and bolts back to the craft we flew here on, my friend and myself hot on their heels.

_ Do they know? _

_ Wait, we sense… _

_ Another strain is here! _

_ Why do they run? _

I could hear them running after us. A few people cried out in the large room we had left, but they were silenced just as quickly as they started. I shudder to think what happened to them.

We didn’t look back until after we had taken off. We looked at each other uncomfortably, and I noticed that the Tenno child was quaking, the warframe cradling them.

“Do you think we could have saved the others?” the child asks their warframe, who shakes their head. The child falls quiet.

After a long silence, I speak up. “At least you are all safe.”

Another long moment passes. “Should we visit the people you know? The ones with the noninfectious infested?” my friend tries.

The Tenno nods, coaxing the ship back towards Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, Sheel's journey comes to an end, but only this part of it. Gonna be honest, at first I was thinking about having this be a standalone story, but as I was writing it I realized that I could fold it into Evolution pretty easily, so here we are.   
Amalgam (ex)juggernaut arson eximus get!


End file.
